Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 677: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the primary schools in County Westmeath which will lose their previous disadvantaged designation by the introduction of the weighted general allocation scheme. [18952/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Schools will not lose any previous disadvantaged designation as a result of the introduction of the new general allocation system. Schools whose allocations under the new general allocation scheme are based on an enrolment of 80:1 are those disadvantaged schools that are specifically eligible for additional staffing under the urban dimension of the Giving Children an Even Break scheme.

The identification of schools for the provision of different levels of extra support under the Giving Children an Even Break scheme introduced in 2001 was based on the number of pupils in the school with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving. The levels of disadvantage were established as a result of a comprehensive survey of primary schools carried out by the Educational Research Centre in March-April 2000 at the request of my Department. The criteria considered as part of this survey were those which have been proven to have a high correlation with educational disadvantage, including employment status of pupils' parents, medical card possession, and type of housing.

Other schools, that may not be eligible for additional staffing under Giving Children an Even Break may have been selected for inclusion in the earlier disadvantaged areas scheme. All schools granted designated disadvantage status under this scheme will retain that status. However, some will not qualify for the 80:1 allocation ratio for resource teachers unless they had a level of concentrated disadvantage that warranted extra staffing under Giving Children an Even Break.

As the Deputy is aware the review of the general allocation system has now been completed. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which has been reviewed to take account of difficulties that it may have caused for smaller schools. The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 678: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the primary schools in County Westmeath which will lose teachers under the recently introduced weighted general allocation scheme. [18953/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. As the Deputy may be aware my Department has issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their teaching allocation under the new general allocation model for the 2005-06 school year. The letter also includes details of any clustering arrangements that may apply. One of the objectives of the general allocation model is to maximise the extent of full-time permanent posts available to support the needs of pupils with higher-incidence special educational needs, SEN, and learning support teacher requirements. Clustering facilitates the assignment of experienced teachers as well as allowing for better training of resource teachers on the basis that permanent posts will retain teachers for longer periods. This ultimately benefits the pupils. To this end, schools, particularly those with small enrolments, have been grouped in clusters where possible.

Part-time hours have been provided to schools in cases where it was not possible to form a cluster of general allocation hours. Schools that have been allocated part-time permanent hours may be aware of a local school or schools with part-time permanent hours that when combined could form a full-time permanent post. It is open to any such schools wishing to form a cluster by combining these hours to contact my Department's special education section in writing with details of their proposal. It should be noted that these arrangements apply to staffing associated with the general allocation model only.

Where it is not possible for schools to form permanent posts under the general allocation model, such schools may, for the purposes of creating temporary full-time posts, form clusters to combine permanent part-time hours allocated under the general allocation model with hours allocated for individual children with low incidence disabilities, or transitional hours retained for children with high incidence disabilities. Again, any schools wishing to form such temporary full-time posts should contact my Department's special education section in writing with details of their proposal. This arrangement will apply for the 2005-06 school year only and is being facilitated on the understanding that, as pupils with an individual allocation of hours leave the school at the end of that school year, the full-time temporary posts will be adjusted to the appropriate reduced level of part-time hours. Responsibility for filling any additional posts which may be created using the above arrangements rests with the management authorities of the relevant schools in line with Department procedures.

Schools have been advised that where they currently have a permanent resource teacher and where they have adequate hours to warrant the continuation of a full-time post through a combination of general allocation hours and-or low incidence hours and-or transitional hours for the coming school year, they may retain the existing teacher for the school year without the status of the teacher having to change. The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system. It is also the case that pupils with lower incidence special needs, such as autism, will continue to be catered for on an individual application basis.

My Department is finalising a circular for schools which will contain detailed information on how the new system will operate. It is intended that this circular will issue before the end of the current school year. It is also intended that this circular will address issues that have been raised by schools with my Department since the system was notified to schools in mid-May. I am satisfied that the introduction of the new system will greatly benefit schools and the children in schools that need additional support.